High Culture Makes Good Deterrent

This is either the greatest or the stupidest story so far this year: Metronet are going to start piping in classical music in to Tube stations in an effort to "deter yobs".

Their claim is that trials of the 'system' (which uses "CD technology" apparently) on the east end of the District Line have led to a "3 percent drop in physical and verbal abuse over 18 months".

And why does it work? Not because it calms people down, but because the number of "young people" hanging around stations has gone down, "probably because it is not trendy to be associated with high culture."

The idea is now going to be implemented into 35 other Tube stations on the District, East London, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines.

Other anti-yob plans put forward by Metronet include:

- Filming Newnsight Review at Tottenham Court Road station.

- Moving the London Symphony Orchestra from The Barbican to Wood Green station.

- Introducing 'roving lecturers' on some parts of the Bakerloo line.

- And installing a modern dance troupe at particurlaly troublesome stations.